Administrator



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NATHANIEL BOOTH, OF HOLLIDAYSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ADMINISTRATOR OF NATHANIEL BOOTH, SR, DECEASED.

COMPOUND FOR PURIFYING IRON IN BLAST AND PUDDLING FURNACES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 407,921,dated July 30, 1889.

Application filed March 20, 1889. Serial No, 304,041. (No specimens.)

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that NATHANIEL BOOTH, Sn, deceased, late of Hollidaysburg, in the county of Blair and State of Pennsylvania, and of Keyser Creek, Boyd county, Kentucky, did invent a Compound for Purifying Iron in Blast and Puddling Furnaces, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The above-named compound consists of the following ingredients, combined in or about the proportions stated, viz: red prussiate of potash,one-half ounce; bichromate of potash, one-half ounce; bicarbonate of soda, one-quarter to one-half ounce; Russian or sea salt, seven ounces; black oxide of manganese, seven ounces. These several ingredients, after being weighed and well mixed, have been put together in a package, which is thrown into the furnace containing the iron to be purified, as hereinafter described, the quantity of ingredients as above named usually forming a sufficient package for a charge of five hundred pounds of pig-iron in a puddling-furnace.

The object of introducing this compound into the metal in the furnace is to eliminate phosphorus, silicon, and sulphur from the metal, and to operate as a dephosphorizer and make the iron under treatment homogeneous. It is especially applicable to redshort iron, which it neutralizes, and reduces its crystalline character to a fibrous condition. By its use a cheaper and inferior pig-iron, either hot or cold blast, can be worked and converted to render it tough and fibrous.

The way in which the compound is ordinarily used is to take a package of it, of the quantity specified in the foregoing formula, for each five hundred pounds charge of pigiron in the puddling-furnace, and after the metal is melted to throw or introduce such package into said metal, and to close the dampers of the furnace for two minutes, more or less, carefully noting the time which it takes to thoroughly mix with the iron, after which the puddling is completed, as usual. The effect on red or other short iron will invariably be to convert it into iron which is tough and fibrous, capable of being worked into horseshoes, which the same quality of pig metal not so treated would not do. A stronger heat only is necessary to convert it into a fine horseshoe-iron when the pig metal has been treated, as described, with the compound, and the product will command a higher price in the market.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to besecured by Letters Patent, is-

The herein-described composition of matter to be used for purifying iron in blast or puddling furnaces, consisting of red prussiate of potash, bichromate of potash, bicarbonate of soda, salt, and black oxide of manganese, substantially as specified.

NATHANIEL BOOTH, Admimstrazfor of N athaniel Booth, Sr.

lVitnesses':

BEN L. HEWIT, LEVI LEEDOM. 

